Orbit30 is a monthly series that celebrates over 30 years of creative work—spotlighting standout projects from the archives, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, and reflecting on how each one shaped the journey.
Some projects stay with you.
Not just for how they turned out—but for when they happened, what they meant, and who they were for. This one checks every box.
Back in late 2002, we were getting ready to welcome our first child (hey, Brody!), and I had the honour of designing the invitation to my wife’s baby shower. Like any self-respecting designer with a sudden burst of inspiration (and access to high quality Xerox digital paper stock), I didn’t just make a card—I made a statement piece.
The concept: a retro 60s-inspired, whimsical illustration of my wife in a nifty, polka-dot maternity dress. The twist? The dress flipped up to reveal a silhouetted baby bump—where the shower’s date, time, and location were displayed in white type. Playful, punchy, and unlike anything I’d had the chance to design in my day-to-day role at the time.
The RSVP card followed suit: a baby sleeping under a blanket, which also flipped up to reveal the response area. Both pieces were glued to backer cards, meticulously hand-trimmed and scored to ensure a clean, elegant lift. I’ll admit—more than a few X-Acto blades gave their lives for this piece.
I submitted the set to the Xerox Creative Print Contest, a national competition for designers across Canada. To my delight, Havin’ a Baby won 2nd place—my first-ever career award. The judges were especially taken with the vibrant colours (printed on a new gloss card stock Xerox had just released), the inventive use of interactivity, and the illustration style—one that was distinctly mine, but hadn’t seen much daylight professionally yet.
Looking back now, it’s not just the design or the award that makes this one so special—it’s what it marked: a joyful moment in our lives, the start of fatherhood, and a rare chance to blend personal life and professional passion into one unforgettable piece.
This was creativity in its purest form: driven by love, fuelled by joy, and executed with care.
And it still makes me smile.
Orbit Studios continues to create bold, joyful, and custom-crafted design work—whether it’s for brands, events, or unforgettable life moments. Want to bring a story to life through design? Let’s talk.
